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Abstract:

An air flow apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a
shroud having a first end for connection to a cooling package, and a
second end for connection to a fan ring. The fan ring of the apparatus is
configured to mount directly to an engine block and surround a fan of the
engine block. The apparatus also includes a duct positioned below the
shroud and fan ring. The duct has a first opening that opens to an engine
compartment, and a second opening that opens to ambient. A flow path
extends between the first and second openings and is arranged to route
heated air in proximity to the shroud and fan ring to ambient.

Claims:

1. An air flow apparatus for a cooling package of a vehicle, the air flow
apparatus comprising: a shroud defining a longitudinal axis and having a
generally rectangular opening at a first end, and a generally circular
opening at a second end; a fan ring centered on the longitudinal axis and
connected at a first end thereof to the second end of the shroud such
that the circular opening opens to the fan ring; the shroud and fan ring
arranged to direct a flow of air through the shroud from the rectangular
opening to the circular opening thereof, and through the fan ring; and a
duct positioned below the shroud and the fan ring for routing air that
has passed through the fan ring from the shroud away from the shroud and
the fan ring.

2. The air flow apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shroud has a generally
rectangular radially outwardly extending flange adjacent the first
opening configured for axially mounting the shroud to a generally
rectangular face of the cooling package.

3. The air flow apparatus of claim 2, wherein two opposed side edges of
the generally rectangular opening are not entirely parallel.

4. The air flow apparatus of claim 3, wherein the radially extending
flange includes a plurality of mounting apertures for axially mounting
the shroud.

5. The air flow apparatus of claim 2, wherein the shroud further
comprises a transition region extending from the radially outwardly
extending flange, and a sealing lip extending from the transition region.

6. The air flow apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transition region is
defined by a smooth contoured surface that reduces in cross-sectional
area when moving along the longitudinal axis from the first end to the
second end.

7. The air flow apparatus of claim 6, wherein the sealing lip includes a
radially outwardly facing mounting surface for mounting with the first
end of the fan ring in a lap joint configuration.

8. The air flow apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sealing lip is a
separately formed component fixedly connected to an end of the transition
region in a lap joint configuration.

9. An air flow apparatus for a cooling package of a vehicle, the air flow
apparatus comprising: a shroud defining a longitudinal axis and extending
between first and second ends thereof; a fan ring centered on the
longitudinal axis and connected at a first end thereof to the second end
of the shroud, the fan ring including a sealing ring defining the first
end of the fan ring, the sealing ring including a radially inwardly
facing mounting surface which circumferentially surrounds and overlaps
the second end of the shroud; the shroud and fan ring arranged to direct
a flow of air through the shroud from the first end to the second end
thereof, and through the fan ring; and a duct positioned below the shroud
and the fan ring for routing air that has passed through the fan ring
from the shroud away from the shroud and the fan ring.

10. The air flow apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sealing ring is a
separately formed component from a remainder of the fan ring.

11. The air flow apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sealing ring is
removably secured to a mounting ring of the fan ring.

12. The air flow apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sealing ring is
removably secured to the mounting ring of the fan ring by way of a snap
fit connection.

13. The air flow apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sealing ring includes
a radially inwardly facing groove, and the mounting ring includes a
radially outwardly facing projection which is received by the radially
inwardly facing groove of the sealing ring to achieve the snap fit
connection.

14. The air flow apparatus of claim 9, wherein the fan ring includes at
least one axially and radially extending shield which extends from a
mounting ring of the fan ring.

15. The air flow apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one shield
includes a plurality of shield intermittently arranged around the
circumference of the mounting ring of the fan ring.

16. An air flow apparatus for a cooling package of a vehicle, the air
flow apparatus comprising: a shroud defining a longitudinal axis and
extending between first and second ends thereof; a fan ring centered on
the longitudinal axis and connected at a first end thereof to the second
end of the shroud; the shroud and fan ring arranged to direct a flow of
air through the shroud from the first end to the second end thereof, and
through the fan ring; and a duct positioned below the shroud and the fan
ring for routing air that has passed through the fan ring from the shroud
away from the shroud and the fan ring, the duct including a bottom wall
and opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom wall, a front
wall extending between the opposed sidewalls and upwardly from the bottom
such that the duct has an open top and an open end, wherein the open top
serves as an inlet for the flow of air routed from the shroud and fan
ring and the open end serves as an outlet for the flow of air, the outlet
opening to ambient environment.

17. The air flow apparatus of claim 16, wherein the bottom wall includes
a at least one drain port passing therethrough.

18. The air flow apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a seal member
positioned within the duct and extending between the opposed sidewalls
and upwardly from the bottom wall, the seal member configured for sealing
against a bottom surface of the cooling package so that air is prevented
from circumventing the shroud and fan ring when entering the duct.

19. The air flow apparatus of claim 15, wherein shroud and fan ring are
sealingly connected to one another and wherein the shroud is sealingly
connected to a face of the cooling package so as to define a flow path
for the flow of air entering the duct.

20. The air flow apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the shroud and
fan ring are multi-piece components.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/648,343, filed May 17, 2012, the entire
teachings and disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference
thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention generally relates to automotive cooling systems, and
more particularly to air cooling configurations used to remove heat from
an automotive cooling system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Contemporary automotive cooling systems typically employ a
plurality of coolant lines which circulate coolant through various
portions of a vehicle. The coolant within these lines may be used to draw
heat away from the engine, the transmission, or other portions of the
vehicle (collectively referred to herein as the powertrain) where it is
desirable to maintain a controlled temperature. In basic operation, the
coolant draws heat away by heat transfer, wherein the heat of the
powertrain is transferred to the coolant, thereby elevating the
temperature of the coolant.

[0004] Once the coolant has drawn heat away from the powertrain, it is
routed to a cooling package which may include a coiled or otherwise
arrayed tubing configuration(s) commonly referred to as a radiator. Air
is directed over the cooling package to reduce the temperature of the
coolant so that it may be recirculated again to continue to draw heat
away from the powertrain.

[0005] Reducing the temperature of the coolant is critical. If the coolant
is not sufficiently cooled, it will not effectively absorb a sufficient
amount of heat when recirculated. Such a condition can lead to
overheating, seizing, etc. Typically, air is directed over the cooling
package by two means, each of which operates to reduce the temperature of
the coolant therein. First, when the vehicle is moving, ram air from
outside the vehicle is directed over the cooling package. Second, when
the vehicle is not moving, or when there is an insufficient amount of ram
air to effectively reduce the temperature of the coolant, a fan is
utilized to draw air over the cooling package. The fan may be engine
driven via a belt or the like, or the fan may be electrically driven.

[0006] For certain types of vehicles, efficient fan operation is critical
because the vehicle may experience high powertrain loads when stationary,
i.e. when there is little to no ram air available. For example,
firefighting apparatuses such as pumper trucks typically utilize the
engine to drive the pump thereof for pumping a large quantity of water to
fight a fire. As such, despite being stationary, the powertrain
(particularly the engine) experiences a high load that causes the
temperature thereof to elevate. The pumper truck must thus rely entirely
on its internal fan for effective operation of its cooling system.

[0007] Unfortunately, many contemporary air cooling configurations are
highly inefficient. More specifically, the fan in a contemporary cooling
system, while typically placed in proximity to the cooling package, tends
to draw air over only certain portions thereof and/or draw air over the
cooling package unevenly. Such inefficient operation of the fan is due in
part to the shape of the fan versus the shape of the cooling package. The
cooling package is typically rectangular in shape, while the fan
generates an air column that is generally cylindrical. As a result,
portions of the cooling package may not be exposed to as much cooling air
as other portions of the radiator.

[0008] Furthermore, air that is drawn over the cooling package increases
in temperature as heat is transferred to the air from the coolant within
the coolant package. This heated air has a tendency to remain in
proximity to the cooling package, thus increasing the overall temperature
of the cooling package and the air circulated therein. This condition can
limit the ability of the air that is drawn over the cooling package to
absorb a sufficient amount of heat from the cooling package. Indeed,
because the engine and cooling package are situated within a generally
enclosed engine tunnel, this heated air remains in proximity to the
cooling package and increases the overall temperature of the environment
within the engine tunnel, thus negatively effecting heat transfer
efficiency.

[0009] Both of the above scenarios are undesirable as they can lead to
insufficient cooling. Previous attempts to avoid the above have led to
fan oversizing which gives rise to parasitic power loss of the powertrain
given that a sufficiently large amount of energy generated by the power
train is used to operate such oversized fans. Further, cost of
procurement and operation are driven up given that the aforementioned
oversized fans can be expensive. Therefore, there is a need in the art
for a method and apparatus that will efficiently manage air flow used for
powertrain cooling to avoid the above problems.

[0010] The invention provides such a system and method. These and other
advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features,
will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In one aspect, the invention provides an improved air flow
apparatus that advantageously directs cooling air drawn by a fan of a
cooling system over a greater portion of a cooling package in a more
evenly distributed manner than prior designs. An embodiment of this
aspect includes a shroud that is mounted at one end to a cooling package,
and at the other end to a fan ring of a cooling fan. The shroud operates
to evenly distribute a low pressure field generated by the fan over a
generally rectangular surface area of the cooling package. Such a
configuration ensures that a cooling air is more evenly distributed over
the entirety of the cooling package.

[0012] More particularly, an embodiment of an air flow apparatus according
to this aspect includes a shroud defining a longitudinal axis and having
a generally rectangular opening at a first end, and a generally circular
opening at a second end. A fan ring is centered on the longitudinal axis
and connected at a first end thereof to the second end of the shroud such
that the circular opening opens to the fan ring. The shroud and fan ring
are arranged to direct a flow of air through the shroud from the
rectangular opening to the circular opening thereof, and through the fan
ring. A duct is positioned below the shroud and the fan ring for routing
air that has passed through the fan ring from the shroud away from the
shroud and the fan ring.

[0013] In certain embodiments, the shroud has a generally rectangular
radially outwardly extending flange adjacent the first opening configured
for axially mounting the shroud to a generally rectangular face of the
cooling package. Two opposed side edges of the generally rectangular
opening are not entirely parallel. The radially extending flange includes
a plurality of mounting apertures for axially mounting the shroud.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the shroud further comprises a transition
region extending from the radially outwardly extending flange, and a
sealing lip extending from the transition region. The transition region
is defined by a smooth contoured surface that reduces in cross-sectional
area when moving along the longitudinal axis from the first end to the
second end. The sealing lip includes a radially outwardly facing mounting
surface for mounting with the first end of the fan ring in a lap joint
configuration. The sealing lip may be a separately formed component
fixedly connected to an end of the transition region in a lap joint
configuration.

[0015] In another aspect, the invention provides an improved air flow
apparatus that advantageously removes heated air away from the cooling
package so that new cooling air entering the cooling package is not
prematurely heated by the heated air and/or so that the ambient
temperature around the cooling package is minimized. An embodiment of
this aspect includes a duct that is positioned in proximity to the
cooling package and to a cooling fan. The duct is open-sided and includes
an opening to ambient at one end thereof. The duct thus establishes a
flow path extending from an engine compartment containing the cooling
package to ambient for the routing of heated air that would otherwise
stagnate in proximity to the cooling package.

[0016] More particularly, an embodiment of an air flow apparatus according
to this aspect includes a shroud defining a longitudinal axis and
extending between first and second ends thereof. A fan ring is centered
on the longitudinal axis and connected at a first end thereof to the
second end of the shroud. The fan ring includes a sealing ring defining
the first end of the fan ring. The sealing ring includes a radially
inwardly facing mounting surface which circumferentially surrounds and
overlaps the second end of the shroud. The shroud and fan ring are
arranged to direct a flow of air through the shroud from the first end to
the second end thereof, and through the fan ring. A duct is positioned
below the shroud and the fan ring for routing air that has passed through
the fan ring from the shroud away from the shroud and the fan ring.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the sealing ring is a separately formed
component from a remainder of the fan ring. The sealing ring is removably
secured to a mounting ring of the fan ring. In a subsidiary embodiment,
the sealing ring is removably secured to the mounting ring of the fan
ring by way of a snap fit connection. The sealing ring includes a
radially inwardly facing groove, and the mounting ring includes a
radially outwardly facing projection which is received by the radially
inwardly facing groove of the sealing ring to achieve the snap fit
connection.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the fan ring can include at least one
axially and radially extending shield which extends from a mounting ring
of the fan ring. The at least one shield includes a plurality of shields
intermittently arranged around the circumference of the mounting ring of
the fan ring.

[0019] In yet another aspect, the invention provides an improved air flow
apparatus that advantageously maximizes fan efficiency, thereby allowing
implementation of smaller fans. An embodiment of this aspect includes an
engine mounted fan ring. The spatial orientation and location of the fan
ring is accurately governed by way of the aforementioned engine mounting.
This accurate location of the fan ring permits a sufficiently low fan
blade tip to fan ring clearance that provides for greater air flow than
contemporary fan configurations. As a result, smaller fans can be
utilized to draw a sufficient amount of cooling air.

[0020] More particularly, an embodiment of an air flow apparatus according
to this aspect includes a shroud defining a longitudinal axis and
extending between first and second ends thereof. A fan ring is centered
on the longitudinal axis and connected at a first end thereof to the
second end of the shroud. The shroud and fan ring are arranged to direct
a flow of air through the shroud from the first end to the second end
thereof, and through the fan ring. A duct is positioned below the shroud
and the fan ring for routing air that has passed through the fan ring
from the shroud away from the shroud and the fan ring. The duct includes
a bottom wall and opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom
wall, a front wall extending between the opposed sidewalls and upwardly
from the bottom such that the duct has an open top and an open end. The
open top serves as an inlet for the flow of air routed from the shroud
and fan ring and the open end serves as an outlet for the flow of air,
the outlet opening to ambient environment.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the bottom wall includes a at least one
drain port passing therethrough. In certain embodiments, a seal member is
positioned within the duct and extending between the opposed sidewalls
and upwardly from the bottom wall. The seal member is configured for
sealing against a bottom surface of the cooling package so that air is
prevented from circumventing the shroud and fan ring when entering the
duct.

[0022] In certain embodiments, the shroud and fan ring are sealingly
connected to one another, and the shroud is sealingly connected to a face
of the cooling package so as to define a flow path for the flow of air
entering the duct. In certain embodiments, each of the shroud and fan
ring are multi-piece components.

[0023] Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will
become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the
specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and,
together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the
invention. In the drawings:

[0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view an embodiment of an air flow apparatus
according to the teachings of the present invention;

[0027]FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the air flow apparatus of FIG.
1;

[0028]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the air flow apparatus of FIG. 1 in
the context of a cooling fan and cooling package;

[0029]FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a shroud of the air flow
apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0030]FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a fan ring of the air flow
apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0031] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective cross section of the air flow
apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0032]FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a duct of the air flow
apparatus of FIG. 1; and

[0033]FIG. 9 is a cross section of a lower portion of the air flow
apparatus of FIG. 1.

[0034] While the invention will be described in connection with certain
preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those
embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives,
modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of
the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Turning now to the drawings, an air flow apparatus and method are
described herein which efficiently manage air flow for powertrain
cooling. With particular reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of such an
air flow apparatus 100 is illustrated. The air flow apparatus 100 shown
in FIG. 1 is illustrated mounted generally between and/or in proximity to
an engine 102 and a cooling package 104 of a vehicle (not shown). The air
flow apparatus 100, engine 102, and cooling package 104 are situated
within a generally enclosed engine tunnel of the vehicle. As is
understood by those skilled in the art, a typical engine tunnel or
compartment surrounds an engine and cooling package, and may incorporate
one or more openings to the ambient environment, typically at an
underside of the engine tunnel. As will be explained in greater detail in
the following, air flow apparatus 100 functions to efficiently and
advantageously route heated air through the engine tunnel after it has
been utilized by the cooling package to transfer heat therefrom. From the
description herein, it will be recognized that the air flow apparatus 100
may be incorporated into any vehicle, and as such, the particular engine
102 and cooling package 104 illustrated should be taken by way of example
and not limitation.

[0036] Turning now to FIG. 2, air flow apparatus 100 includes a shroud
112, a fan ring 114, and a duct 116. To be described in greater detail
below, fan ring 114 surrounds an engine fan 118 (See also FIG. 3). Fan
118 is operable to draw air across cooling package 104 as generally
illustrated by the left most air flow arrows in FIG. 2. Shroud 112 is
connected at one end to fan ring 114 and at another end to cooling
package 104. As will be described in greater detail below, shroud 112 is
designed to provide a uniform air flow through cooling package 104 by
reducing restriction and providing a smooth transition from the generally
rectangular-shaped cooling package 104 to the circular engine fan ring
114. Put differently, shroud 112 operates to transition the generally
circular pressure field distribution generated by engine fan 118 to a
rectangular pressure field distribution across the right most face of
cooling package 104 so that cooling air is evenly distributed across
cooling package 104 as it is drawn by engine fan 118.

[0037] Fan ring 114 is engine mounted to engine 102 to allow for a tight
fan 118 tip clearance to fan ring 114 which results in an increased air
flow through the system. Duct 116 is positioned below cooling package
104, shroud 112, and fan ring 114 and provides an open top as well as an
open end which define in part a flow path for heated air to travel along
once it has been drawn in by fan 118 across cooling package 104 and
served its cooling function. Specifically, duct 116 functions to provide
a pathway for heated air to exit the area surrounding cooling package 104
so that the same does not inhibit the efficient cooling thereof. Such
functionality is additionally illustrated at FIG. 3, where heated air is
illustrated being directed into duct 116 and away from cooling package
104 through the open end of duct 116.

[0038] Turning now to FIG. 4, air flow apparatus 100 is illustrated in an
exploded view relative to cooling package 104 and engine fan 118. Engine
102 is not shown in this view for purposes of clarity. As illustrated,
shroud 112 and fan ring 114 are arranged along longitudinal axis 120 that
in one sense represents the axis along which air is drawn across cooling
package 104 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Duct 116 is centered about
axis 122 passing generally through the center of cooling package 104. As
discussed above, fan ring 114 mounts to engine 102 (See FIGS. 1-3).
Shroud 112 mounts to fan ring 114 at one end, and at another end, mounts
to cooling package 104. Which such a configuration, an enclosed air flow
chamber is defined by the interior surfaces of shroud 112 and fan ring
114 and is arranged along axis 120.

[0039] Turning now to FIG. 5, shroud 112 will be discussed in greater
detail. Shroud 112 includes a mounting flange portion 132, a contoured
transition portion 134 extending from mounting flange portion 132, and a
sealing lip portion 136 extending from transition portion 134. Mounting
flange portion 132 is generally normal to axis 120 (See FIG. 4) and
mounts to cooling package 104 (See FIG. 4) in a surface or face-style
mount. Mounting flange portion 132 includes a plurality of apertures 142
used for mounting shroud 112 to cooling package 104. Mounting flange 132
forms an edge with transition portion 134 to define a generally
rectangular opening 144. As illustrated, rectangular opening 144 is not
perfectly rectangular to ensure that little to no flow restriction is
caused by shroud 112. More specifically, generally rectangular opening
144 has slight curves therealong to ensure that the column of air
generated by fan 118 (See FIG. 4) is not inhibited any way at the
junction between shroud 112 and cooling package 104 (See FIG. 4).

[0041] Shroud 112 may be manufactured via molding, and may be formed as a
single component or as a multi-piece component. As will be described in
greater detail below, the particular embodiment of shroud 112 illustrated
is a multi-piece component wherein mounting flange portion 132 and
transition portion 134 form a single component while sealing lip portion
136 is a separately formed component that is attached to mounting flange
portion 132. Shroud 112 and its associated componentry may be
manufactured from any structurally rigid material, e.g. metal, plastic,
or and/or composites.

[0042] Turning now to FIG. 6, fan ring 114 will be described in greater
detail. Fan ring 114 includes a sealing ring 152, a mounting ring 154,
and one or more shields 156. Sealing ring 152 provides a sealing surface
which mates with a sealing surface of shroud 112 (See FIG. 5) as
described in greater detail below. Mounting ring 154 mounts to an end of
sealing ring 152 that is opposite the end providing the aforementioned
sealing surface. As illustrated, mounting ring 154 includes a plurality
of engine mounts 158, which mount fan ring 114 to engine 102 (See FIGS.
1-3). The particular location and shape of engine mounts 158 will vary
depending upon the type of engine associated with fan ring 114, and thus
the illustrated locations of engine mounts 158 is not in any way limiting
on the invention. Engine mounts 158 function to accurately locate fan
ring 114 such that a relatively small fan tip to fan ring clearance is
provided to ensure that the pressure field generated by engine fan 118
(See FIG. 3) is maximized across the interior of fan ring 114. Shields
156 direct generally radial portions of airflow exiting mounting ring 154
in a more axial and rearward direction. Although a single shield 156 is
illustrated, it will be readily recognized that more shields could
readily be incorporated without deviation from the invention described
herein.

[0043] Fan ring 114 is illustrated as a multi-piece component. However, in
other embodiments, fan ring 114 could be manufactured such that sealing
ring 152 and mounting ring 154 are formed from a single component with
engine mounts 158 and shields 156 thereafter attached thereto. Fan ring
114 and its associated componentry may be manufactured from any
structurally rigid material, e.g. metal, plastic, or and/or composites.

[0044] Turning now to FIG. 7, the various interfaces of shroud 112 and fan
ring 114 are illustrated. As illustrated, mounting flange portion 132 is
surface mounted directly to cooling package 104. Transition portion 134
extends from mounting flange portion 132. Sealing lip portion 136 of
shroud 112 is affixed at a first end 164 to an end 166 of transition
portion 134. As illustrated, first end 164 of sealing lip portion 136 and
end 166 of transition portion 134 generally overlap one another. These
components may be affixed to one another via bonding, adhesives, or any
other mechanical joining process. Additionally, as discussed above,
transition portion 134 and sealing lip portion 136 may be formed as a
single continuous piece such that the aforementioned lap joint is not
present.

[0045] A second end 170 of sealing lip portion 136 defines a
circumferential contact surface 172 for mating with a circumferential
contact surface 174 at a first end 176 of sealing ring 152 in a lap joint
configuration. These contact surfaces 172, 174 may be in contact with one
another directly, or additional seal material such as adhesives or a
gasket may be positioned therebetween. A second end 178 of sealing ring
152 provides a mounting groove 182 for receipt of a radially extending
mounting projection 184 of mounting ring 154. Mounting groove 182 may
receive mounting projection 184 in a snap-style configuration, or,
mounting projection 184 may be secured within mounting groove 182 using
adhesives or the like. Additionally, as discussed above, sealing ring 152
and mounting ring 154 may be formed as a single component such that the
mounting groove/projection 182, 184 configuration is unnecessary and thus
omitted. Shield 156 is mounted to mounting ring 154 via a lap joint as
illustrated.

[0046] Turning now to FIG. 8, duct 116 will be described in greater
detail. Duct 116 has a bottom wall 188, a pair of side walls 190, 192
extending upwardly from bottom wall 188, and a sloped end wall 194
extending upwardly from bottom wall 188 and between side walls 190, 192.
The end of duct 116 opposite end wall 194 defines a duct opening 196.

[0047] Several drain apertures 198 are formed through bottom wall 188 to
facilitate drainage of any foreign material collected within duct 116. As
illustrated, bottom wall 188 is not entirely flat or planar, and instead
ramps downwardly proximate opening 196.

[0049] Having discussed the basic structural attributes of an embodiment
of duct 116, the flow directional capabilities thereof will be discussed
in greater detail now with reference to FIG. 9. A lower portion of air
flow apparatus 100 is illustrated at FIG. 9 in cross-section. Air
surrounding the left most side of cooling package 104 as well as the
exterior of duct 116 is at reference P1. Heated air in proximity to fan
118 and engine 102 within the engine tunnel containing the same is at
reference P2 which is greater than reference P1 due to its temperature
and limited flow pathways. As such, a pressure differential exists
between the areas at pressures P1 and P2.

[0050] As fan 118 draws air across cooling package 104 illustrated by flow
arrows 220, the same transitions from an area at P1, through cooling
package 104, and smoothly through shroud 112 and fan ring 114 towards
engine fan 118.

[0051] Due to the aforementioned pressure differential as well as the
opening 196 formed in the end of duct 116, this air will move out of
opening 196 in an attempt to equalize with P1, as generally shown by flow
arrows 224. This air is at a greater velocity than the air flow at 220,
and as such, is quickly removed from the engine tunnel. As a result, the
heated air at P2 which would otherwise stagnate in proximity to cooling
package 104 and affect the efficient cooling thereof is rapidly removed
from the area surrounding cooling package 104 as well as the engine
tunnel containing engine 102. Indeed, opening 196 opens to ambient
underneath a vehicle incorporating air flow apparatus 100 and thus
operates as a vent port for removing heated air from an engine
compartment containing engine 102. A seal 222 is situated between bottom
wall 188 of duct 116 and cooling package 104 to prevent air drawn towards
cooling package 104 from passing underneath cooling package 104 as
opposed to through it, as illustrated. Seal 222 may be formed from any
seal material, and may be a gasket, o-ring, or the like. Use of seal 222
generally creates a pressure wall that tends to enhance outbound flow of
heated air through opening 196. Furthermore, the length of duct 116 or
distance between end wall 194 and opening 196 is sufficiently long enough
to prevent heated air from recirculating into the area surrounding
cooling package 104.

[0052] In view of the foregoing, the embodiment of an air flow apparatus
described herein advantageously allows for a downsizing in engine fan
requirements due to the optimized air flow between fan 118 and cooling
package 104. Furthermore, air flow apparatus 100, in part by way of duct
116, allows for the efficient removal of heated air surrounding cooling
package 104 to ensure optimum cooling system operation.

[0053] All references, including publications, patent applications, and
patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same
extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated
to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety
herein.

[0054] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents
in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of
the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and
the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by
context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing"
are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but
not limited to,") unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values
herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring
individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless
otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into
the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods
described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise
indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of
any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided
herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does
not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise
claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as
indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the
invention.

[0055] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein,
including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the
invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent
to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing
description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such
variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to
be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of
the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by
applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements
in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless
otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.